Todd Bishop
The Japan Tourism Agency released the latest statistics on September 18. The number of visitors to Japan in August dropped 48% compared with the same period of last year. The number of visitors was the highest since the 311 earthquake in East Japan in 2011. There are frequent visits to Korean tourist facilities, and Korean tourists once fell to zero.
The relationship between Japan and South Korea has deteriorated sharply since July, and there has been a continuous stop-up of the Japanese goods movement in South Korea. The number of visitors to Japan has also dropped significantly. The Japan Tourism Agency announced the latest figures. In August, South Korea’s visitors to Japan fell 48% from the same period last year, reducing the number of people to 300,000, the most since the 311 earthquake in East Japan in 2011.
Korean tourists cancel a large number of appointments
South Korea is the country with the most visitors to China after the Japanese visit. Many areas such as Central Japan and Kyushu are popular tourist destinations in South Korea, and passengers have greatly reduced their impact on local tourism.
Among them, Oita Prefecture is one of the hardest hit areas, and some local hot springs, golf courses and other facilities usually come from South Korea. A golf course in Guodong City received a large number of Korean passengers from July to cancel the appointment, the number of people up to 1,200.
Located in a golf club in Beppu, more than 5,000 South Korean tourists visited in previous years, but in September this year there was no Korean traveler reservation. The person in charge said: “There are already fewer Korean passengers to prepare, but I did not expect it to fall to zero.”
Hokkaido has also been hit by a decline in South Korean tourists. Local banks have set up special support departments since the 17th to provide emergency lending services to local restaurants. The person in charge said that since the local Korean tourists have dropped by half, they have received help from the store since September.
In recent years, Japan has vigorously developed tourism and set a target of 40 million visitors to Japan in 2020. However, due to the deterioration of Japan-ROK relations, it will be difficult to achieve if the situation continues.
